RISING with Steve Sima Why High Agency People Always Get What They Want | Cate Hall
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Mar 30, 2026 
Cate Hall, author, former Supreme Court lawyer and poker champion turned CEO, shares how to cultivate personal agency. She explains what low-agency feels like and practical ways to spot more options. They discuss triggers for agency, why some people are selectively agentic, and how tools like reframing and small wins expand your surface area for luck.
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Train Seeing And Acting To Increase Agency
- Build agency by improving both the seeing (noticing incentives and getting clear feedback) and acting (overcoming embarrassment and identity barriers) skills.
- Cate recommends spotting when fear of looking stupid blocks action and using tactics to address that barrier directly.
Low Agency Spreads Because It Feels Easier
- Low-agency beliefs spread because they provide immediate emotional relief and community, while agency cultivation often requires delayed effort with slow rewards.
- Steve Sima links this to algorithmic incentives that reward outrage and helplessness over slow self-improvement.
Get Quick Wins By Exposing Dynamics And Increasing Surface Area
- Use quick feedback moves like increasing your surface area for luck and making implicit relationship dynamics explicit to get immediate agency gains.
- Cate says telling someone "I've noticed this dynamic, I don't like it" produces relief and a path to action.